Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Stoves

To anyone who can give me some advice. I'm just getting into serious climbing. I've been doing some research on stoves and can't decide which one to go with. Everyone has been telling me to go with the MSR...but which one?! There are so many different types. Can anyone give me a little advice. What have you had success with? I'd like to keep my pack light, but I want a stove that will do the trick?

Well it depends on what you mean by "serious climbing". If you are talking about alpine winter climbing at high elev, then I would recommend something like the MSR dragonfly or the Simmerlite. I've used both those 2 with good luck in winter. Also if you want to travel internationally the dragonfly works with multiple types of fuels.
If by "serious climbing" you mean summer trad routes and summer mountaineering routes then my personal fav(without using an alcohol stove) is the snowpeak Gigapower. A great compact lightweight and easy to use stove. Runs off pre-pressurized butane/propane canisters. These are a little more expensive than gas, but can trim some weight and make cooking easier.
Eric J Lee

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm speaking about high elevation alpine climbs. Because I've never done this...how well do these stoves hold up in the wind? I there anything I should look into when considering high winds and strong gusts? How quickly do they cool down after use?

For those conditions a gas stove will work much better, since you can place a windscreen around it. Though be VERY careful if you are cooking in a vestible. Stoves like the MSR Dragonfly, XGK, Brunton Optimus all have a centralized burner which makes them function like a rocketship(hot and noise). They are loud, but that central burner is well protected. The time to cool would depend on outside temps, usually only a few minutes though.
Eric J Lee

I would recommend the MSR Whisperlite International. It's light and no frills. I wouldn't put much stock in the ability of other stoves to 'simmer'. I'm either melting snow or boiling it for cooking something dehydrated. I know many that have had problems with this stove but you could usually trace it back to lack of maintenance. You DO have to clean them once and awhile. I also swear by the MSR Pocket Rocket. And it CAN simmer if needed.

It sort of depends on how many in your party & how long you are going out. For long treks or when traveling with a bigger party, you cannot go wrong with the MSR XG models. They are a blast furnace and never fail. If however you are only one or two, and going for only 3 days or so, then the MSR canisters with simmer seem to work well. On the pocket rocket types, make sure the base (the part that expands out and holds the pot up) is real solid- no give at all. Some of the newer models are so shakey and flimsy that they tip over much too easily. I learned that the hard way.

I would go with the new JetBoil it is protected from the wind, boils water fast at high elevation.

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I didn't think of all the variables to getting a stove. You guys have really helped me out. I can't wait to get rolling.

I have a MSR Dragonfly that I've used in all kinds of high altitude conditions and never had it fail me. It burns almost anything you put into it, melts ice fast and sips fuel slowly. It comes with a thin wind screen which also helps to concentrate the heat and use less fuel. It is slightly heavier than some others, but only by ounces. It works well on a small pot for a small group all the way up to big pots for large climbing parties.

I have an MSR Pocket Rocket and the only thing I don't like is that the only way to gauge how much fuel is left in a canister is by how heavy it feels. Oh and it's a little tippy but they mostly all are (price of being light.)

Ellen

I love my MSR Pocket Rocket. I've been using it for about three years now. Since I only boil water for coffee in the morning and then boil water for a dehydrated meal for dinner, I have gotten 12 days use out of one canister. If it gets too cold overnight, I have to warm the canister a little to get it to work properly. I haven't had any "real" problems with it. My friend and I shared his MSR whisperlite the first year or two that we went backpacking together. I remember one trip he was throwing sand on it while I ran away from it after it leaked and the spilled fuel caught fire. ;-) I'd never try to deal with that stove again!

To check the level of the fuel in a canister... float an empty canister in water at home, mark a line on it at water level. Do the same with a full canister. Mark all your non-empty canisters with a line at both the full and empty levels. In the field just float your marked canisters in water (a little bit in a pan or pot will do) and see what percent of fuel you have left.

Can anyone add what they experience with the MSR Pocket Rocket for fuel consumption? PLease describe your usage and duration of life for the 4 oz. fuel canister. Thanks in advance

ML, In a baseline fuel consumption test I ran when I first bought a MSR Pocket Rocket I got the following results: An MSR IsoPro 4 fl. oz. can yielded eight 1 quart boilngs before it ran out. My tests were conducted at 440' above sea level on a normal Socal day (about 68 degrees F and light wind). I used no wind screen device and a covered aluminum teapot (a Trangia I've had for 25 years). I began each quart with cool water from my house tap and a cool pot and stove. Obviously, you will have to adjust for a variety of conditions. A test with like conditions and restrictions yielded 13 quarts from the MSR IsoPro 8 oz. container. It was just slightly more windy. This is a statistically poor sample size but it may help you out.

Scott,

Thanks, this information was very helpful and has led me to decide to purchase a Pocket Rocket for my upcoming trip.

I plan to run similar tests here at home and will post my results when complete. I live at 6200 ft so the results may vary enough to provide additional information for those faced with a similar decision as mine. I will be camping late this week at 10,500 ft and hopefully can run the same test there.

Granted the results will not be in a controlled environment and may very with lab results but they will be good enough for me.

Thanks Again

Propane/butane mixes have a slightly higher energy content per unit weight than white gas. One 4 ounce (net weight) canister has approximately the same energy content as 5 1/2 *fluid* ounces of white gas.

You can use a wind screen with a canister stove, just be sensible about it. Don't fully enclose the canister and keep an eye on it. I always use a windscreen with my canister stove, summer or winter. Cooking without a windscreen would be very inefficient in all but the most optimal conditions.

Before a canister actually ruptures, the concave bottom is designed to first invert and allow for additional expansion. I've never heard of this happening in the field, but it probably has happened to someone, somewhere, sometime, and I think you wouldn't want to see it yourself. Just use common sense.

Serious users usually gravitate toward liquid fuel. If you are on big walls or plan to wait out many storms in a mountain tent, you may consider a hanging stove, otherwise stick to the multi-fuels.

I've used various stoves for the last 20 years. I currently own six. My top four favorites are...in order.

1. Optimus/Brunton Nova
2. MSR XGK
3. MSR Whisperlite international
4. MSR Dragonfly

The Nova is is way ahead of the others. It's built well, packs small. All metal pump. Its truly fully adjustable, roar to simmer. True Multifuel capability, it's awsome.

The Nova is expensive, but some places on the net will sell under $100.

Good Luck.

jon

"Serious users usually gravitate toward liquid fuel."

I'm not sure that it has anything to do with how serious (or silly) you are. It comes down to choosing the right tool for the job. Sometimes canister stoves are the better choice and sometimes liquid fuel stoves are better. And quite often either works well and it's just a matter of personal preference.

That Optimus Nova looks pretty nice.

Pocket Rocket fuel consumption:

I've had a 4oz canister last me 9 days or backpacking. 5 days in Paria Canyon, Northern Arizona in October and 4 days in the Grand Canyon in December. That was boiling water every morning for oatmeal, usually two mountain houses every night and usually water for 2 or 3 hot chocolates. I even boiled water for other people who were using an alcohol stove, since they take so long (after seeing them in use I have no desire at all to switch to one of those) .

When I first used my Dragonfly years ago I followed the instructions and opened the fuel valve on the bottle almost all the way before using the burner control to prime and start the stove. I couldn't figure why I was having problems with the flame dying out. I also was using what seemed like a lot of fuel.

Last year on Shasta I brought two bottles -- a total of 55 ounces (!) -- knowing I'd need to melt a lot of snow. It must've been the cold and the altitude that made me think about the oxygen/fuel ratio. I opened the fuel valve only one to one and a half turns, then primed and started the stove. It worked flawlessly. Not only that, but after two days of melting snow for breakfast, dinner, hot drinks and for several quarts of water for the climb for myself and my climbing partner, I found I'd used barely 11 ounces of fuel.

You need to learn how to use a white gas stove -- to adjust for altitude, keep enough, but not too much pressure, in the bottle, and clean it once in awhile (I never use unleaded so I rarely have to clean it).

Once you've developed a feel for your white gas stove, it's almost a disappointment to light up a cannister and have nothing else to do.